New Delhi, May 1 -- Agentic artificial intelligence (AI) is fast emerging as the newest trend in AI, with systems carrying the potential to drive the next major wave of enterprise transformation. Enterprises stand to benefit significantly from AI agents that operate across workflows, optimizing supply chains, personalizing customer interactions, and orchestrating cross-departmental functions. That said, organizations must navigate challenges - spanning business operations, workforce management, and ethics - to unlock the full potential of agentic AI. Benefits of Agentic AI According to a 2024 Nasscom report, funding for Indian generative AI startups grew more than sixfold quarter-on-quarter, hitting $51 million in the second quarter of the 2025 financial year, primarily fueled by B2B and agentic AI ventures. This growth is understandable, as unlike traditional AI models that rely on predefined rules or human intervention, agentic AI can analyze complex scenarios, make real-time decisions, and execute complex tasks with minimal oversight. What sets it apart is its high level of autonomy and ability to learn and improve continuously. As AI talent becomes increasingly scarce, advancements in agentic AI could even help firms in bridging the talent gap. Recent research found that one of the most viable and widely implemented use cases is orchestrating other AI agents. Interestingly, companies in India are already beginning to explore agentic AI. For example, the conversational AI platform Gupshup is offering agentic AI capabilities to companies such as Lenskart, Cars24, and Kotak. Food delivery company Zomato recently launched Nugget, an AI-powered, highly customizable customer support platform that is said to tackle 80% of customer queries autonomously. Top Indian tech companies are also using agentic AI and building in-house capabilities to streamline business processes and boost efficiency. While agentic AI is hugely promising, the risks associated must be considered. As agentic AI interacts with vast amounts of data, poor data governance and data vulnerabilities can lead to data breaches and result in financial losses. Its autonomous nature and lack of human intervention can lead to errors and malfunctions. Its ability to operate without humans in the loop can lead to fear of job loss, affecting employee morale adversely. However, organizations can get past these hurdles if they establish robust governance, ethical AI frameworks, and trust-building measures. Addressing the risks Infosys research recommends that creating an AI governance task force is beneficial to form guardrails that uphold key aspects of responsible AI - ethics, regulatory compliance, explainability, and privacy. This will mitigate risks, including those associated with agentic AI, while building trust in users and driving AI acceptance. Employee engagement is an integral part of creating trust. Involving employees in decision-making about AI, regularly training them on the use of AI and its business impact, addressing concerns around job safety and compliance, communicating about responsible AI efforts, and building comfort and confidence around adopting AI are important for AI success. Organisations should implement change management strategies to familiarise employees with the change in business processes related to AI use, fostering a sense of support and minimising resistance. Creating an AI foundry cultivates a spirit of innovation, empowering employees to incubate new ideas. It also acts as a source for governance - including necessary data governance - for effective agentic AI deployment.
Organizations that invest in this next phase of AI evolution can gain a competitive edge by automating decision-making at scale, reducing operational bottlenecks, and fostering continuous innovation. By implementing best practices to solve the issues posed by agentic AI, enterprises can embrace its potential and move closer to a future where intelligent automation redefines the way businesses operate.
(The author is Executive Vice President, Global Services Head, AI and Industry Verticals, Infosys)
Published by HT Digital Content Services with permission from TechCircle.